2.0 Pollution Prevention
Product Safety Emission Testing

Background
The Polaroid Corporation regularly conducts product safety emission testing to determine how its products are impacting the operational environment. Ongoing research continues to establish limits and guidelines for indoor air quality in occupational settings and for volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from various sources such as furniture, carpets, and office equipment. Many indoor air quality problems associated with VOC emissions have been documented. Polaroid conducts tests to characterize and quantify VOC emissions generated and emitted during the operation or use of its products.

Description
Polaroid's test method was adopted from the ASTM D 5116-90 procedure entitled Small Scale Environmental Chamber Determinations of Organic Emissions from Indoor Materials and Products and modified to allow on-location testing of large manufacturing unit operations. The test chamber was constructed of wood and plastic sheets. Prior to product testing, background measurements were recorded on an empty test chamber, without equipment or materials present, so that VOC emissions present from the chamber's construction materials and ambient air could be quantified and subtracted from the product test results. Since the chamber was not airtight, the ventilation rates also had to be measured and adjusted in the test results. Measurements were performed via two techniques: Summa evacuated air canisters and Carbotrap solid adsorbent tubes. Both techniques produced measurements in good agreement with one another.

Results
Examples of products tested include the Helios Medical Imaging System, an identification card production system, and Polaroid film packages. Figure 2-1 shows the test chamber configuration for the Helios Medical Imaging System. Results confirmed that all products tested well below the problematic levels or concentrations of VOC emissions. Polaroid has evaluated all products to determine the requirements for testing and the potential for VOC emissions.